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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rule — a law
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rock — music
  13. bore — to drill
  14. rule — government
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com